


Inseparable Hearts

by aj_linguistik



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga), ソードアート・オンライン - 川原礫 | Sword Art Online - Kawahara Reki
Genre: Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:20:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21924304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aj_linguistik/pseuds/aj_linguistik
Summary: It's been a little over a year since Kirito woke up from being trapped in SAO, but it hasn't been quite as long for Asuna- so, that means it's their first Christmas together in the real world! He wants to do something very special for her and enlists a little help from some trustworthy sources.
Relationships: Kirigaya Kazuto | Kirito/Yuuki Asuna | Asuna
Comments: 3
Kudos: 61





	Inseparable Hearts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [disasterbiKirito](https://archiveofourown.org/users/disasterbiKirito/gifts).



> A/N: I know I said I wasn't going to write a Christmas anything, but. I wrote this for my very special someone, who has given me a reason to smile this Christmas. Christmas reminds me of a lot of very difficult heartache; it has been a time that I've struggled to smile for many years. But this year, I am very filled with joy and happiness. Thank you for being the light of my life, milove. I love you very much. <3

It was my second Christmas after waking up from the nightmare that was SAO, but for her, it was her first. So, while it wasn’t our first Christmas together—we’d spent Christmas in Aincrad together, of course—it was our first Christmas as Yuuki Asuna and Kirigaya Kazuto, two teenagers who were dating in the real world. And because of that, I wanted to make it as special as possible.

But how did I go about a romantic first Christmas as her boyfriend? I’d never done this sort of thing before. I knew the usual things romantic couples did. But I was going to need help. My first helper ended up being my mom. I met with her one night and asked her about the possibility of taking Asuna out for Christmas Eve dinner. My mom laughed and did her best to help me get a reservation at a restaurant for us to go to dinner.

My second helper, though, was much smaller and far more interested in all of the details.

“Papa, I think you should plan out a Christmas lights tour!” Yui said, her eyes practically sparkling at the thought. “I think Mama would like to go on one with you! You can hold her hand and take her around to see all of the pretty lights!”

I hummed and thought about it for a moment.

“I don’t even know what the best route would be,” I admitted. “I’ve never done that sort of thing before.”

Yui smiled and pulled up a map of Tokyo.

“I’ve compiled some data of where the best Christmas lights displays are in Tokyo!” she said, waving a hand at her handiwork. “Using average traffic of past Christmas Eve lights tours, I can map out a perfect route for touring them that will keep you both in a reasonable direction and in areas of low traffic but not so low that it’s dangerous!”

I laughed.

“Man, you were prepared for this, weren’t you?” I said.

She nodded.

“I want Papa and Mama to have the best first Christmas Eve date ever!” she said.

I smiled back.

“You bet we will,” I said. “Now, should I buy some Christmas cake? And I definitely need to get her something.”

Yui, of course, jumped to the most difficult thing.

“You should make her some sweets!” she said. “Mama’s always cooking something for you! You should cook something for Mama! Maybe make some chocolates or something! She would love that!”

I let out a nervous laugh.

“I’ve never made chocolates before,” I said.

“Then now’s the time to learn and show her you can do something like that, too!” she said.

I was trapped at that point. Yui would definitely be expecting a review of how good my chocolate-making skills were from Asuna at this point, so I conceded. She would be receiving a box of handmade chocolates, something that she probably would never have expected from the likes of me. So, while Yui mapped out a tour of our evening after dinner through Tokyo, I set about the daunting task of chocolate creation.

That enlisted the help of my third and fourth helpers. Since Suguha was too busy to get involved, Lisbeth and Silica came over to walk me through the basics of chocolate making. We gathered up all of the ingredients and the two of them supervised me in the kitchen, likely suspecting I was hopeless in front of a stove.

“Jeez, you’re all flashy with a couple of swords, but the moment you put on an apron, you look ridiculous,” Lisbeth sighed. “Hold the whisk properly.”

She reached over and repositioned my hand on the whisk.

“There,” she said. “Just like that. The motion should be in your wrist, now.”

Silica giggled.

“Kirito, you look so funny in an apron,” she said. “But you kind of look like an adorable housewife!”

I felt my cheeks flushing red. The things I was putting up with just to make Asuna something nice. The two girls were enjoying the hell out of me struggling with this seemingly simple task. I was careful to follow their instructions as closely as possible. The process was every bit as difficult as I expected, but I recalled Yui’s excitement at the thought of me making something by hand for Asuna, and then I really thought about how she’d react when she knew I went through all this trouble for her. I smiled and got back to it.

When I finally finished them, I stood back and stared at the finished chocolates with a small bit of pride. I placed my hands on my hips and nodded. Lisbeth and Silica let out another giggle as they watched me.

“Say, Kirito!” Silica said.

I turned my head to her.

“Yeah?” I said.

She pointed to the chocolates.

“You should write a cute little love message on them!” she said. “Something like, ‘Merry Christmas, I love you!’ or ‘Merry Christmas, love, Kirito!’”

She giggled as soon as heat flushed into my cheeks.

“That’s a good idea, Silica!” Lisbeth said. “Here, we’ll help you whip up some pink frosting!”

“Pink?!” I exclaimed. “That’s not a Christmas color!”

The girls both laughed.

“But it _is_ a love color!” they said.

And that was that. They showed me an easy way to make frosting from scratch, and then they coached me through using a piping bag to write out a little message using the chocolate pieces. There were a few blank ones left over, which they immediately decided had to have hearts on them. I piped on a couple of sloppy hearts and sighed with relief. The treat was complete.

“Now, when are you going to give it to her?” Lisbeth asked. “At dinner? While you’re going your little lights tour?”

I blinked at her.

“Did…did Yui tell you about that!” I exclaimed.

She laughed.

“It’s a miracle she hasn’t told Asuna yet,” Lisbeth said. “But I think she’s excited for everyone to see how happy her mama is when she gets a romantic evening for two with her favorite person. And frankly, we’re all happy for you two. So, go get her, tiger!”

Silica sighed and shook her head.

“Lisbeth, he already won her heart,” she said, drooping forward. “He doesn’t have to go win her again…”

Laughing, Lisbeth patted me on the shoulder and grinned.

“He knows what I mean,” she said.

I rolled my eyes but thanked them both for their help. They stuck around to help me tastefully box the treat and then wrap it up very nicely. They wished me and Asuna good luck on our special date, and then I went back to consult Yui about the Christmas lights tour. Everything seemed to be in order. I whipped out my cellphone and took a deep breath. I dialed Asuna’s number and patiently waited. After three rings, the receiver clicked.

“Hey, Kirito,” she said. “What’s up?”

Letting out my breath, I went ahead and asked it.

“Would…would you like to co out with me on Christmas Eve?” I said. “I was thinking a dinner and maybe walking around to see all of the lights. And I’d like to give you something, if that’s okay.”

She let out a little gasp on her end of the phone.

“I’d love to spend Christmas Eve with you!” she said. “It might be a bit busy to get a dinner reservation, though…”  
I chuckled.

“I managed to get us one with a little help from my mom,” I admitted.

“Oh?” she said.

I hummed.

“What time should I be ready, then?” she asked.

I picked up a notepad off of my desk and looked down at the time of our reservation.

“I’d say by 4:30 at the latest,” I said. “You think you can make that time?”  
“Of course!” she said.

Her voice sounded so happy it made my heart flutter in my chest. Now that it was officially a date, I could hardly contain my excitement. In just a few days, we’d get to have our special date. When she ended the call to go and handle something her mom asked her to do, I couldn’t help but celebrate this successfully pulled off date-planning with a pumped fist in the air. Things were going well.

On the day of the date, my mom insisted that I dress up nice for Asuna. It didn’t have to be something overly dressy, but she wanted to make sure I looked cleaned up and presentable, like it was casual Friday at the office. I even took extra time to take a quick shower and decently comb my hair down. I drove over to Asuna’s house on my bike and waited outside for her.

She stepped out of the house, wrapped up because it was cold, but still obviously dressed up in a nice pair of pants and some heels. She’d appropriately dressed for riding on the back of the bike, which I was grateful for. I didn’t want to have to take a taxi. I enjoyed riding with her arms wrapped around my waist. She hopped up behind me and we headed to the restaurant.

It wasn’t something super fancy. But the way Asuna lit up when I took her hand and escorted her into the little restaurant for dinner made it feel like the finest dining spot in all of Japan. I walked her over to her chair, pulled it out for her, and gently guided her into it. She started giggling as I sat down across from her.

“What?” I asked, smiling at her.

“This,” she said. “Just, all of this. You’re really very sweet, Kirito.”

I let out an awkward laugh.

“Well, I don’t know about all of that,” I said.

Asuna flashed me a smile. My heart felt like air. What in the world did I do to deserve such a radiant smile? She truly was like a shooting star—one that shone so brilliantly she lit up my entire world. I sighed heavily and rested my cheek on my hand. She laughed a little more, shaking her head at me.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked.

Her eyes sparkled with interest.

“You,” I admitted.

It sounded so cheesy. The moment if left my lips I realized exactly how cheesy and sappy it sounded. My face flushed with heat. Asuna giggled and tapped her shoe against mine under the table. I couldn’t help myself. Everything about Asuna was amazing.

After our dinner, I shared the lights tour map with her and told her that Yui had excitedly helped me make it up. I guided her through the city, holding her hand the whole while, stopping at different places to take pictures of the lights and ourselves. As we approached the last, and most grand display, I stopped and gazed at her.

In the warm light of Tokyo at night, she looked to be at peace. I often worried, since we’d both woken up from our long nightmare, because she had this look on her face that seemed troubled. But in this moment, as she gazed up at the giant tree lit up in the street before us, that troubled look was gone. I squeezed her hand gently. She turned her eyes to me. They glistened in the Christmas lights. We both instinctively leaned in and shared a kiss.

“This was a wonderful idea,” Asuna said, reaching up and cupping my cheek in her hand.

I smiled at her.

“I’m glad you liked it,” I said.

She kissed me again, this time a little more deeply. The warmth of her lips was more than welcome in the cold. We rested our foreheads against each other, enjoying each other’s presence. We slipped our fingers together.

“If you’d like, we have some Christmas cake at home,” I said. “Mom would love to have you, too.”

Asuna nodded.

“Yes, I’d like to tell your mom and Suguha ‘Merry Christmas,’ too!” she said.

“Well, before we head back,” I said.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the carefully wrapped present. I made sure to offer it to her with both hands. She smiled and took it. I patiently waited as she opened it up, curious to see what her response would be. She opened up the box and gasped, then giggled.

“Did you actually make these?” she asked.

I nodded shyly.

“Y-yeah,” I said.

“You’re amazing,” she said. “And very sweet, when you try.”

I laughed.

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

Instead of answering, she slipped her gift into her pocket and then held out something for me as well. I thanked her and took it. She had an almost giddy look on her face as she waited for me to open it up. I pulled open the box and looked inside. Inside, there was a framed picture of the two of us on a spring date earlier this year. It was from one of our very first dates. I smiled up at her and then wrapped my arms around her.

“Thank you,” I said.

She hugged me back.

“Shall we go get some of that Christmas cake?” she asked, teasingly touching a finger to my nose.

I nodded.

“Yes, let’s do that,” I said.

We hopped back on the bike and headed back for my place. My mom was waiting for us at the door. She ushered inside, saying it was way too cold to be standing around in the front yard. We hurried into the kitchen, where she promptly treated us to some Christmas cake. She asked how the lights tour was, and Asuna filled her in on most of the details. After we finished up our cake, my mom gave us some mugs of hot chocolate and left us to each other.

I took Asuna up into my room and set up the framed photo she’d given me right next to my monitors on my desk. We talked for a bit as we sipped our drinks, but after they were finished, we ended up cuddling on my bed. I touched my nose against hers and rubbed it side to side a little.

“What are you doing, silly?” she asked.

I hummed.

“It’s how mom told us people kissed when they were cold,” I said.

She giggled.

“A nose kiss?” she asked.

I nodded.

“Yeah,” I said. “Just another way to say ‘I love you,’ I suppose. Is it too weird?”

She shook her head.

“Not at all,” she said.

Asuna touched her nose to mine and gently nuzzled me back.

“It’s very cute.”

I pulled her closer and slipped my lips into hers. I’m sure that, just like for me the previous year, this Christmas was a time of adjustment for Asuna. But I was glad that I could be here with her, holding her tight. So long as we were together, it didn’t matter what we’d been through or how strange things were back in the real world. Because our hearts were here. Joined at last in the real world.

And completely inseparable.


End file.
